Why do police use license plate readers?

License plate readers can serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose when they alert police to the location of a car associated with a criminal investigation. But such instances account for a tiny fraction of license plate scans, and too many police departments are storing millions of records about innocent drivers.

How do police license plate scanners work?

The license plate scanner continuously scans license plates as an officer drives around the city. For example, if the hit indicated a license plate was owned by a suspended driver, the officer would stop the vehicle to determine if the driver of the vehicle was that person.

How common are license plate readers?

ALPRs are rapidly becoming widely used by law enforcement agencies. A 2012 survey by the Police Executive Research Forum found that 71 percent of police departments responding used the systems, and 85 percent planned to expand their use or purchase new equipment.

What information will ANPR access?

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) covers a wide range of camera technology that automatically reads vehicle number plates then records information about that plate, or uses it to cross-reference elsewhere to set off an ‘action’.

What’s on the trunk of police cars?

In the trunk of a patrol car, officers store any bulky equipment they might need at a crime scene. This can include bulletproof vests or other body armor, a shotgun, first aid kit, a portable defibrillator, specialized tools (such as bolt cutters), or other gear specific to that officer’s training and assignment.

What do license plate readers see?

ALPRs automatically capture all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date, and time. The data, which includes photographs of the vehicle and sometimes its driver and passengers, is then uploaded to a central server.

What are the benefits of an intelligent license plate reader?

Data Analytics. The realities of dealing with limited resources means that every resource takes on extra importance.

What is an automated license plate reader?

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are high-speed, computer-controlled camera systems that are typically mounted on street poles, streetlights, highway overpasses, mobile trailers, or attached to police squad cars.

Is it legal for police to run a license plate?

Officers can – and often do – run plates of cars that have not committed any moving violations. A police officer has the legal right to act upon any information he lawfully obtains. When someone drives on a public road, they display their license plate at that time. A police officer who observes the plate can run it.

Can the police take my license plate?

Yes they can. The police will impound the vehicle, allow the owner of the vehicle to get the car out of impound, and provide the owner of the vehicle with a temporary license plate. This temporary plate will then be used until the individual charged has his or her case disposed up.